Each year over 50,000 Newmarket and York Region residents enjoy popular events hosted in the Town of Newmarket including Tim Hortons Canada Day, TD Newmarket Music Series, York Region Pride Festival, New’bar’ket presented by Global Pet Foods and the Haunted Halloween Trail. This week, the Town of Newmarket was recognized by Festivals & Events Ontario as the Municipality of the Year for its Special Events in the mid-sized municipality category (population of 50,000 to 150,000). “Winning Municipality of the Year from Festivals & Events Ontario puts Newmarket on the map as one of Ontario’s top destinations for music, arts and local events,” says Mayor John Taylor. “What I love about our events is the energy you feel at them and that there is truly an event for everyone in our community. I’m incredibly proud of our staff for coming back so strong after pausing and pivoting during the pandemic, to bring our community back together in person when we needed it the most.”
Festivals and events are an important part of a town’s social fabric by creating opportunities for individuals and families to gather and celebrate throughout the year and to foster community building. This is especially important as we grow and welcome new residents into our community. Special events also drive economic growth and create opportunities for local businesses, vendors, sponsors and volunteers to participate within the community.
In addition to the special events the Town hosts itself, through partnerships, facility rentals and grant distribution, the Town supports numerous local events and gatherings throughout the year hosted by the Chamber of Commerce, sports organizations and community groups.
2023 event line-up
The Town of Newmarket kicked off the 2023 event season with Mayor Taylor’s New Year’s Levee and WinterFEST. The Town looks forward to continuing to bring award-winning events to the community with another full lineup of events.
Save the date and stay tuned for more details:
Community Cleanup – Saturday, May 6, 2023
York Region Pride Festival - June 16 to 17, 2023
Canada Day daytime event and fireworks – Saturday, July 1, 2023
TD Newmarket Music Series – Thursday nights from July 6 to August 24, 2023
Moonlight Movies – Tuesdays and Wednesdays in August 2023
New’bark’et - Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10, 2023
Haunted Halloween Trail – Thursday, October 26 to Saturday, October 28
Kid’s Trick-or-Treat Trail – Saturday, October 28, 2023
Santa Claus Parade – Saturday, November 18, 2023
Frozen Fridays – Fridays in December (December 1, 8, 15, 22, 29) 2023
First Night – Sunday, December 31, 2023
For details about the Town events throughout the year, visit newmarket.ca/events. Sign up for the Recreation, Programs & Events E-Newsletter to stay up-to-date on event details. Check out a video recapping the amazing 2022 event season.
About the Festivals & Events Ontario Annual Awards:
Festivals & Events Ontario recognizes Ontario’s finest events and festivals through its annual awards program. The awards include the Top 100, a select group of well-known and respected celebrations in the province; Service Excellence highlighting the accomplishments of festival and event suppliers; Achievement Awards that highlight top sponsors, social media campaigns and more, and lastly, the coveted Municipality of the Year which showcases the most active municipalities in the province for providing fun activities for their communities.
This is the first time the Town of Newmarket has won Municipality of the Year for its Special Events. In 2021 the Town received Achievement Awards for Moonlight Movies, Santa Claus Candy Cane Lane and the Newmarket Seniors’ Meeting Place 46th Annual Turkey Luncheon.
For a list of Festivals & Events Ontario awards winners, click on the announcements for: Municipality of the Year Awards presented by OLG, Service Excellence Awards, Achievement Awards presented by Smart Serve Ontario, Volunteers of the Year and Hall of Fame Inductee, The TOP 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario.
